The Common Leopard Frog 



In early May, those that have lived through all these dangers 

 are more than an inch long. The tail with its broad transparent 

 fin is nearly twice as long as the rest of the creature. Soon the 

 hind legs bud out and develop; the front legs appear; the mouth 

 and eyes are transformed into those of a frog; the tail is absorbed. 



In July and August the marshy borders of the lakes and ponds 

 in which the Leopard Frogs breed are swarming with small 



The back-swimmer is a powerful enemy of young tadpoles. 



frogs. (Fig. 199.) Their home is in the shallow water among 

 water-lilies and pickerel-weeds, or farther in, where sedges, grasses, 

 and willows grow. They wander over the sand of miniature 

 beaches or over the adjacent grassy places, in search of the small 

 insect life they feed upon. Let any disturbance come and they 

 rush for the water — three or four enormous low leaps, one after 

 the other, and they disappear under the water with a splash so 

 slight as scarcely to ruffle the surface enough to show where they 

 are. We may look with great care, but we cannot fmd them. 

 They hide at the roots of grasses or in the water-weeds, keeping 

 under cover until we are tired and give up the search. 



183 



